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General Seminary Launches Episcopal Wellness Program

11 August 2011

New York City—Beginning this fall the General Theological Seminary (GTS) will launch its new Episcopal Wellness Program (EWP), a holistic initiative aimed at instilling balanced self-care practices in those preparing for leadership in ministry. The program, developed by the GTS Office of the Chaplain with support from the Church Pension Group, will work closely with existing student-led initiatives and with the Seminary’s Center for Christian Spirituality. GTS-EWP encompasses body, mind, and spirit and teaches, through modeling, a healthy and balanced lifestyle for ministry. The program makes use of healthcare professionals, workshop leaders, and peer-led groups for physical and spiritual practice, and is open to all community members: seminarians, spouses, partners, faculty and staff.

Yoga, pilates, running, walking, and “fit club” groups for physical fitness, are among the peer-led groups planned for the upcoming academic year. Also included is a meditation group in which various silent practices are taught and welcomed. In addition, twice-monthly workshops will be held on Friday afternoons to address a broad range of wellness topics and experiences, including exercise, healthy cooking, balancing relationships, and deep relaxation techniques, among others. These workshops will be led by trained, national-level professionals and will typically include both content-based and experiential components.

Running concurrently with academic semesters, GTS-EWP offerings can be taken, with additional requirements, as a one-credit course in conjunction with the GTS Center for Christian Spirituality or as a non-credit program. To be in good standing in the program, one must attend at least one peer-led group per week and a minimum of three Friday seminars per semester.

“At GTS we are committed to wellness and to the overall formation of those called to active ministry,” said the Rev. Dr. James H. Reho, the Seminary’s Chaplain. “We believe that presenting self-care and wellness solely as cognitive content fails clergy and church leaders in the field. By encouraging community members to begin living a balanced life in seminary, and in giving them the skills, tools, and experiences to continue to do so after seminary, we hope to form generations of church leaders that are happy, healthy, and holy, and who truly provide good examples of ongoing and powerful Christian formation to those they serve.”

The General Theological Seminary, located in the heart of New York City, educates and forms leaders for the church in a changing world. Founded in 1817 as the first theological seminary of the Episcopal Church, General offers certificate and degree programs including the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Theology. The Seminary is also home to the Desmond Tutu Center, a full-service conference center with sixty modern guest rooms.

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Media Contact:

Bruce ParkerSenior Vice President for External RelationsThe General Theological Seminary440 West 21st StreetThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

General Seminary Trustees Appoint Two New Faculty Members

May 20, 2011

New York City – Trustees of The General Theological Seminary (GTS) meeting on May 17, 2011 unanimously approved the appointment of two new members to the Seminary faculty. The Rev. Dr. Amy Bentley Lamborn will become Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology and the Rev. Dr. Clair McPherson will become Visiting Associate Professor of Ascetical Theology. The two scholars were selected by Seminary search committees and presented for Board approval by General’s Interim Dean, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee. “We are delighted to be able to add to the Seminary’s faculty two new professors, both of whom are excellent teachers and possess the highest levels of scholarly ability,” said Bishop Lee. Both professors will begin teaching at GTS in the fall of 2011.

The Rev. Dr. Amy Bentley Lamborn, the Seminary’s new Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology, currently serves as Theologian-in-Residence at Christ Church, Bronxville. Dr. Lamborn received both her M.Phil. (2007) and her Ph.D. in Psychiatry and Religion (2009) from Union Theological Seminary. Both degrees were earned with distinction. She earned the M.Div. degree from the University of the South (1996). Ordained to the Episcopal priesthood in 1998, she is currently an analyst-in-training with the Jungian Psychoanalytic Association. She has previously served as adjunct professor at Auburn Theological Seminary and Marymount Manhattan College and a lecturer at Union Theological Seminary. Dr. Lamborn is well published. Her most recent paper is "The Fourth/Reduction: Carl Jung, Richard Kearney, and the Via Tertia of Otherness" for the Fall 2011 Psychology and the Other Conference in Boston. She is the recipient of many awards including the Robert Wood Lynn Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching. She is currently at work on a book entitled Figuring the Self, Figuring the Sacred: Imagining Unity and Multiplicity in Depth Psychology and Theology.

The Rev. Dr. Clair W. McPherson, the Seminary’s new Visiting Associate Professor of Ascetical Theology, has taught at a variety of colleges and seminaries, including Union Seminary and General Seminary, where he earned his Master of Divinity (1982), Seabury-Western in Chicago, the University of Missouri, and Washington University in St. Louis, where he earned his Doctorate in medieval literature (1980), with a specialty in Old English and Latin. He is currently Adjunct Professor at New York University’s Gallatin School and at Fordham College Lincoln Center. Among the papers Dr. McPherson has presented have been “Spirituality and The Arts,” at the Spirituality Summit, Charlottesville, North Carolina, 2003-2004; and “Satan in Gregory the Great,” at the Medieval Academy, Harvard, 2006; “The Genoels Diptych: an Early Medieval Paradigm” at the Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 2010, and "Medieval Time" at the Medieval Forum, Plymouth, New Hampshire, 2010. He has published three books on Spirituality, translations, original poems, book reviews, and has served as Contributing Editor of Spirituality and Health. His current project is The Angels: a Study in Medieval Tradition.

In other trustee actions, retiring professor of Ascetical Theology, Dr. Elisabeth Koenig and professor of New Testament, the Rev. Dr. John Koenig were elected Professors Emeriti/ae of the Seminary, having served with distinction for 25 and 33 years respectively. Both departing professors were honored at a lovely reception in Seabury Auditorium on May 4. Trustees also received with gratitude a beautiful portrait in oil of Professor J. Robert Wright, the gift to the Seminary of Paul and Mitzi Noble. Bishop Lee also noted with pleasure that the Seminary’s Distinguished Visiting Professor of Systematic Theology, the Most Rev. Peter Carnley AC will be returning to GTS to teach once again this fall.

The Seminary’s selection process continues for a New Testament professor with a scholarly concentration in the Pauline and Johannine texts. Bishop Lee successfully petitioned the trustees to empower their Executive Committee (which meets more frequently than the full Board) with the right to approve the search committee’s New Testament candidate so that all three professors would be able to begin teaching at the Seminary in the fall of 2011.

GTS Trustees Strengthen Management Team

General Theological Seminary Trustees Strengthen Management Team

Professionals from Law, Finance and Business Join GTS Leadership

December 20, 2010

New York City – Meeting on December 20, Trustees of The General Theological Seminary (GTS) elected three new board members, Sanders Davies, Kenneth M. Kramer, Esq., and James K. Murray, Jr. In accordance with recommendations from the Trustees’ Executive Committee which met earlier in the month, trustees also approved important leadership roles for the new trustees. Sanders Davies will serve as Chair of the Trustee’s Audit Committee. Kenneth M. Kramer will serve pro bono as the Board’s Chancellor (chief legal counsel), and James “Jack” Murray will serve as the Board’s Treasurer succeeding retiring Treasurer Stephen Burrill. In additional actions, Trustees approved the appointment of trustee Sandra Johnson as Interim Chief Financial Officer, at the same time accepting her resignation from the Board so that she might assume this staff position.

“I believe that these elections and appointments of eminently qualified and deeply committed leaders of our Church to these vital positions on our Board of Trustees is a crucial step forward on our long yet promising journey toward achieving the goals envisioned in our Plan to Choose Life,” said Board Chair the Rt. Rev. Mark S. Sisk, Bishop of New York, referring to the school’s comprehensive plan to reduce debt, build its endowment, and balance the budget.

Sanders Davies, chair of the audit committee, is a certified public accountant and senior partner of O'Connor Davies Munns & Dobbins, LLP, an accounting firm of over 250 professionals with offices throughout the New York tri-state area. Mr. Davies serves in a firm-wide managerial role while serving his clients in the areas of audit, tax and consulting related engagements. His client experience includes an extensive list of both commercial and not-for-profit engagements. A graduate of Rutgers University, Mr. Davies is a member of numerous professional societies and has served as a board member of several commercial and charitable organizations including the Salvation Army Advisory Board where he was Co-Chair of its Finance Committee. He is an avid sailor and with his wife, Ann, resides in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Sandra Johnson, Interim Chief Financial Officer, is a retired senior banker and senior credit officer. Ms. Johnson started her banking career with Citibank in 1975 and has handled large corporate accounts, syndications and workouts, served on credit committees and financed mergers/acquisitions and LBO’s. In addition to her professional responsibilities, she has served as Junior and Senior Warden of Christ Church Riverdale and Treasurer of the Diocese of New York from 1989 to 2002. In the latter capacity she was a founding Board member and Treasurer of Episcopal Charities, a Trustee of The Diocesan Investment Trust and a Trustee of the Diocese of New York. She currently serves as a Trustee for the Diocesan Investment Trust of the Diocese of Newark, is an EFM mentor at Christ Church in Short Hills and has facilitated Careers in Transition at the parish for 13 years. Ms. Johnson and her husband, Bill, reside in Short Hills, NJ.

Kenneth M. Kramer, Seminary Chancellor, is a retired senior partner in the international law firm of Shearman & Sterling LLP. His private practice focused on commercial litigation with specialization in financial service industry disputes, securities class actions, antitrust actions, and corporate governance and contract cases. Mr. Kramer headed his firm’s litigation group and served as a member of the firm’s Practice Management Committee. On his retirement from Shearman & Sterling he joined JAMS, a leading alternative dispute resolution organization, where he serves as an arbitrator and mediator. Mr. Kramer is a 1965 graduate of Colgate University and a 1972 cum laude graduate of Albany Law School. He is active in community affairs and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Episcopal Social Services and Music for Life International. Mr. Kramer and his wife, Susan, reside in Brooklyn Heights.

James (“Jack”) K. Murray, Jr., Treasurer, currently serves as Chairman of Murray Corporation, a private merchant company. In 1970 Mr. Murray was one of the founders of a company that is today HealthPlan Services. In 1978, the company was acquired by The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation and in 1989 Mr. Murray assumed the position of President of Dun & Bradstreet Credit Services. In addition, he held the position of Corporate Senior Vice President of D&B. In 1993 Mr. Murray retired from Dun & Bradstreet and, with other financial partners, acquired HealthPlan Services from Dun & Bradstreet in 1994. In May 1995, HealthPlan Services became a public company and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Murray serves as a trustee of numerous institutions in Tampa, Florida including Sykes Enterprises, Inc. (SYKE, a public company listed on NASDAQ). In addition, he has served as senior warden for St. John’s Episcopal Church, as a trustee of numerous schools in Tampa and currently serves as a trustee of the University of Tampa. He and his wife, Sandy, live in Tampa, Florida.

“While the Seminary’s mission is to prepare leaders for the church and the world, we have been reminded by our financial circumstances that we must become much better at attending to our own internal business practices,” said GTS President Lang Lowrey following the meeting. “Jack, Sandy, Sandra and Ken are at the top of their professions and will bring to the Seminary a wealth of experience not only to assist in our financial turnaround but to rebuild our business practices and systems as well. I continue to be grateful for the willingness of so many who love General to respond actively by getting involved to make the Plan to Choose Life a reality."

GTS Hosts Sixth Annual Easter Egg Hunt

March 31, 2011

General Seminary Hosts Sixth Annual Easter Egg Hunt

New York City--The General Theological Seminary (GTS) in the heart of Chelsea invites one and all to its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 24 at 3 p.m. on the Seminary’s beautiful park-like grounds on West 20th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. This is the sixth year GTS has hosted the happy event which typically draws hundreds of children and their parents from throughout the Chelsea neighborhood.

Participants are invited to gather at the gate in front of the Seminary’s chapel across from 422 West 20th Street shortly before 3 p.m. The pealing of the Chapel’s bells precisely at 3 o’clock will signal the beginning of the hunt at which time the gates will open and visitors will be invited in to search the Seminary grounds for brightly colored eggs containing candy and toy surprises—1400 of which will have been hidden throughout the Seminary’s lovely gardens. Younger children and those in strollers will be invited to enter somewhat before 3 p.m. so that they may be escorted to an enclosed playground area where eggs will have also been hidden.

With the Seminary’s deep appreciation, Chris Ballard, a former GTS staffer and now a fulltime student, has retired after five years of dedicated service as coordinator of the popular event. This year he turns this responsibility over to Gale Jones, the spouse of a current student. To assist her in welcoming guests and coordinating the event, Ms. Jones will be recruiting a small group of volunteers from the GTS community. “Easter is the most joyous holiday of the Christian year,” said Bishop Peter James Lee, Dean of the Seminary. “We are delighted to be able to share our beautiful grounds with our neighbors and to have their children join with those from our own community in this fun-filled event.”

The General Theological Seminary, located in the heart of New York City, educates and forms leaders for the church in a changing world. Founded in 1817 as the first theological seminary of the Episcopal Church, General offers certificate and degree programs including the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Theology. The Seminary is also home to the Desmond Tutu Center, a full-service conference center with sixty modern guest rooms.

New Program in Spiritual Guidance of Children

14 September 2010

GTS to Offer New Program in the Spiritual Guidance of Children

New York City – Beginning this fall, The General Theological Seminary (GTS), in partnership with the Center for the Theology of Childhood, will offer an innovative certificate program in the spiritual guidance of children. The program will provide both academic learning and practical training for leaders who seek to nurture children’s relationship with God. The Rev. Dr. Jerome W. Berryman, noted author, educator, and founder of Godly Play®, will join members of the Seminary faculty in teaching courses about children’s spirituality, theological views of children, wonder and play in a theological context, and the spirituality of children in literature and film, as well as parables, biblical theology and liturgy with a focus on children’s spirituality.

“Children have a natural, deep spirituality,” said the Rev. K. Jeanne Person, Director of General Seminary’s Center for the Christian Spirituality. “They know God even before stories and symbols. They need adults who can nurture their sense of the holy and help them discover a language for their faith.”

General’s new program will equip faith community leaders, clergy, chaplains, educators, parents, and others to offer spiritual guidance to children. Courses are designed in intensive formats, taking place over a period of a few days or a weekend, to allow students to pursue study concurrent with other commitments, such as jobs and families. Dr. Berryman will teach the program’s inaugural three-day course, Theology and Children: Past, Present and Future, on the weekend of October 22, 23 & 24, as well as The Spirituality of Children on November 10, 11 and 12. The Rev. Dr. Patrick Malloy, GTS professor of liturgics, will teach Children’s Spirituality in Worship on November 13 & 14.

Because the certificate program is new, General will offer rolling admissions this academic year which enables prospective students to apply at any time. The Seminary is also offering a discounted introductory tuition for students who pay for the entire program before October 1, 2010. Students are also welcome to register for individual courses to enhance their ministries, spiritual lives and relationships with children. Detailed information about courses and the certificate program, including housing options, can be found on the Seminary’s website, www.gts.edu.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with the Center for the Theology of Childhood in creating this unique program,” said Dr. Ted Gerbracht, the Seminary’s chief academic officer and himself a 35-year veteran of teaching and directing Christian education in a parish. “It’s really a groundbreaking venture for the Seminary,” he continued, “one that connects all the resources of the academy with children, who are the church’s future.” For more information on the Certificate Program in the Spiritual Guidance of Children, contact the Rev. K. Jeanne Person, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The General Theological Seminary, located in the heart of New York City, educates and forms leaders for the church in a changing world. Founded in 1817 as the first theological seminary of the Episcopal Church, General offers certificate and degree programs including the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Theology. The Seminary is also home to the Desmond Tutu Center, a full-service conference center with sixty modern guest rooms.

I am pleased to share with you the good news from the Board of Trustees meeting which took place earlier this week. The Board adopted a Plan of Action that will provide financial viability for the future. I regret the negative rumors about GTS that have been circulating this spring; I know some of you were alarmed by them. The challenges General faces are real and are similar to challenges faced by many seminaries in our changing times. However, I am confident that the plan just adopted will provide the financial security needed for the next Dean and President to move General Seminary into a vital and exciting future.

Over the past ten years we have made strategic investments in Chelsea Square to preserve our urban campus, to develop the new library, to develop the Desmond Tutu Center and other innovative possibilities. Our improved facilities now support our evolving programs much better, and building maintenance now takes a significantly smaller share of our annual budget. In order to make the necessary $70 million investment in rehabilitating our aging buildings, the Seminary has taken on $33 million in debt. The Plan of Action defines the steps that will meet both the financial and the programmatic challenges, steps that will secure the financial vitality and ensure the continuance of General Seminary in the future as it seeks to meet the needs of a changing church.

The plan involves two primary parts. The first part involves developing a $10 million pool of capital to bridge the gap between the present inadequate cash flow and the future when revenue streams will cover the cost of loans and operations. In four to five years the revenue from the Desmond Tutu Center, from the endowment (at 5%), from the annual fund, and from tuition, fees, and room rental will meet the expenses. The challenge is to get from here to there, and the way is to develop this $10 million operating reserve. We will develop this capital by selling condominiums within Chelsea 2, 3, 4 and by raising funds from our closest friends and supporters. The second part is a reduction of our annual costs by refinancing our loans to obtain a lower interest rate. We are in conversation with several other Episcopal institutions that have very generously offered assistance for this part of the plan.

Some have raised concerns about selling any part of our historic and beloved property. In truth, we might have avoided the past few months of anxiety if we had been more willing to sell once we knew we could not build the seventeen story building on Ninth Avenue (which meant a loss of $15 million in anticipated revenue). We have looked at many different options and determined this is the best alternative. The specific apartments in Chelsea 2,3,4 have always been rented to outside tenants since they were created by the 2004 renovation of the building. Selling them will not affect our mission or our program. We already have people who desire to purchase them, so we do not have to look for buyers. Included in the sale will be an option for the Seminary to have first refusal when they may be sold in the future. Together with modest philanthropy, they will provide the desired $10 million reserve.

When we have fully implemented this plan, I believe General Seminary will be on a path that will be more fiscally healthy than it has been able to achieve since the 1970s. We will not be on easy street, but we should be viable. Most of the deferred maintenance, which was the Seminary’s hidden debt, has been rectified. We will be drawing a sustainable amount from our endowment. And we will be putting funds aside in a plant fund for ongoing capital improvements.

In the midst of these concerns about seminary finances, we have not lost sight of the program developments that are underway. Adoption of the Plan of Action allows us to continue the work of developing new areas of and new approaches for theological education.

•In the next few weeks we expect to hire the Alumni/æ Professor of Christian Formation and begin developing the Center for Continuing Education. This position is funded by the endowment developed in the previousLeaders for the Churchcapital campaign and a grant from the William Woods Foundation. In the Michaelmas term the Center, in collabor ation with theGodly PlayFoundation and the faculty of General, will offer a Certificate for the Spiritual Guidance of Children. The Rev. Jerome Berryman, the originator of theGodly Playcurriculum, will work closely with the Center as advisor and instructor. This Certificate will become a requirement for certification of those who trainGodly Playfacilitators. This development is an example of what I believe represents a new direction for theological education: we are developing the program in collaboration with another entity (theGodly PlayFoundation); it will serve particular needs of the Church both in the U.S. and in Europe; it will enrich our M.Div. program; and elements of the curriculum will be available on-line.

•We continue to strengthen our primary degree programs. Archbishop Peter Carnley, former Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, will be on the Close during the Michaelmas 2010 and Easter 2011 terms as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Anglican Studies. He will teach both systematic theology and ethics. Archbishop Carnley received his Ph. D. in theology from Cambridge University in 1970 and is widely known and highly respected in the Anglican Communion. He has authored a major work on resurrection theology,Structure of Resurrection Belief, as well asReflections in Glass: Trends and Tensions in the Contemporary Anglican Church.

•The gift of $5 million from Polly Keller Winter and Christoph Keller, III to complete the library, reported to you earlier, is a major step into the future. The Board has named the library the Christoph Keller, Jr. Library in honor of the former Bishop of Arkansas who was a courageous and wise leader of the Church during the struggles for integration and the ordination of women. We are moving toward completion of converting our card catalogue to electronic form and the architects are developing construction documents. We have also begun conversations with Virginia Seminary regarding sharing the costs of off-site storage and future digitalization of a portion of the library.

•The Center for Christian Spirituality under the leadership of the Rev. Jeanne Person has developed important new initiatives and is moving forward financially as well as programmatically. This academic year, the CCS opened the way for M.Div. students to earn a Certificate in Spiritual Direction concurrent with their M.Div. degree, enhancing the attractiveness of the M.Div. program and leading to higher enrollments in spiritual direction practicums. The CCS also introduced a one-credit weekend course in spiritual direction supervision that was fully enrolled; in June 2011, the CCS will offer a mid-week version of this course to meet the scheduling needs of local clergy who are spiritual directors. Going forward, the CCS will continue to explore new formats for teaching and will participate in the seminary’s discernment about offering a D.Min. program.

•The Anglican Studies distance education program in partnership with the Diocese of Rochester and Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School has made significant progress this year. Again, this represents new developments in our curriculum, a creative collabor ation, and delivery of theological education using electronic means.

•Despite the publicity concerning the financial condition of General Seminary, it appears we will have a strong enrollment for the coming year.

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This is a crucial time for The General Theological Seminary as the Episcopal Church continues to struggle with decline in membership and dwindling support for its theological seminaries.

Population growth in this country since the early 20th century has been in the urban areas. Rural population has been in decline for at least a century and small town population has been, at best, stationary. The mainline Protestant churches in this country are well-established in rural com munities and small towns, as well as in suburban areas. However, we are less well-established in our major urban centers. One can only surmise that part of the decline of the mainline churches is their failure to respond to the changing urban populations and urban environment. General Seminary is the only truly urban seminary for the Episcopal Church. An urban seminary where students experience life in the city and which can focus on issues involved in metropolitan ministries is essential to our church.

General Seminary brings a particular focus in terms of education and formation. Our academic excellence is supported by an outstanding faculty and the most important library collection in the Episcopal Church. Our emphasis on liturgy together with those programs offered by the Center for Christian Spirituality balance the importance of academic preparation with an emphasis on spiritual formation. This balance is essential for the formation of leaders who will be steadfast and creative.

General Seminary is just beginning to develop new and exciting directions for theological education. In addition to the new programs just listed, the opening of the Desmond Tutu Center has brought new opportunities for programs, both those sponsored by the Seminary and those brought to us by those from outside. The presentation before graduation on science and religion by Sir John Polkinghorne, noted physicist and priest, is just one example of the opportunities this facility provides to the students and faculty of the Seminary, and to all of New York, as well. By achieving these innovations, General has laid the groundwork for future innovative collaborations and partnerships. We believe the future of theolog ical education will require such new models to complement the traditional, residential seminary program.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the Dean and President of General Seminary these past twelve years. It has certainly been an adventure. I have been surrounded by an amazing staff. We have struggled at times, we have responded to threatening challenges, and we have enjoyed one another’s presence and commitment. Every person works out of a deep commitment to the mission of this Seminary and to the Good News of God’s all-inclusive love for all people. We have been supported by alums and friends of the Seminary. I look forward to the transition to the next Dean and President. I believe the plan approved by the Board of Trustees will allow the new leadership to continue the process of re-inventing theological education, moving the Seminary into an exciting future.